Goddess Vrishanana Yogini Murti was worshipped temple at
Lokhari village (Banda District) in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh in India. The 1000-year-old Murti was stolen from the temple and sold to an art collector in Paris. The
widow of the collector has now returned the Murti to India. The Murti is back in India because a minister accidentally happened to see it in Paris.

Goddess Vrishanana Yogini Murti is a powerful incarnation of
Mother Goddess. In this form Mother Goddess has a buffalo-head.

The 4.5-foot Vrishanana Yogini Murti weighs 400 kg and is
carved in a single rock.

As per Hindu scriptures, there are 64 Yoginis and they served Goddess Kali
and the Bhairav form of Shiva. Yogini worship is widely performed in north and eastern parts of India. There are 64 Yogini Temples in Orissa.

Vrishanana Yogini sits on a stone slab in
'lalitasana', holding a club in the left hand and a 'bilva' fruit in the right.

Her 'vahana' (ride) is a swan that's pecking the bilva.

The Yogini has a chiselled body with full breasts, slim waist and rounded
abdomen.

Her eyes are half-closed in contemplation and the buffalo face is serene and
meditative.

She wears a necklace, anklets, bangles and a girdle on the waist - signaling a
tribal link.

According to National Museum, the Yogini cult started between the 6th and
10th centuries and is rooted in sacred texts such as 'Skanda Purana', 'Agni
Purana', 'Kaulajnananirnaya' and in lists called 'Yogininamavalis'.

Hindu Blog View

The government plans to display the Goddess Vrishanana Yogini
Murti in a Museum. This is wrong. The Murti should be returned to a temple that
has the capacity to house and protect the Murti.

Several thousands of Murtis are displayed in various museums across
the world and thousands of murtis are in hands of private collectors. These
Murtis should be brought back to India.

We Hindus are responsible for our Murtis ending up in
museums and in private collections. We have no respect for our tradition,
history and culture. We don’t value our tradition. Instead of protecting
our priceless tradition, we are happy chanting our ancient glory, trying to link it with science and pouring
money into the already overflowing coffers of rich temples in India. We are always ready to give donations to fake swamis and ashrams but not a single rupee or service is given for restoration of a nearby temple.

Take
care of a temple in neighborhood before paying for darshan in Tirupati, Kashi and
Vaisnodevi. You don’t need to pay to have darshan of your neighborhood deity.
A neat, small and well-maintained temple in a locality or village is first sign
towards prosperity.